dativepreposition

A dative preposition, in linguistic terms, is a preposition that requires the following noun or pronoun to be in the dative case in languages with a grammatical case system, most prominently German. These prepositions establish relationships such as source, recipient, or location, and the associated noun is inflected accordingly.

In German, several prepositions are classified as dative prepositions because they always govern the dative case. Common examples include aus, außer, bei, mit, nach, seit, von, zu, gegenüber, and entgegen. For instance, aus dem Haus (out of the house), bei der Schule (at the school), mit dem Auto (by car), von meinem Bruder (from my brother), zu dem Arzt or zum Arzt (to the doctor), nach Deutschland (to Germany), seit zwei Jahren (for two years), gegenüber dem Laden (opposite the shop), und entgegen dem Wind (against the wind). The exact form of the article changes with gender and case: der, dem, des, etc., reflecting the dative.

Some German prepositions are two-way (Wechselpräpositionen) and can take either dative or accusative depending on meaning. They express location (dative) or movement toward a goal (accusative). This distinction is essential for correct sentence structure, especially with verbs that imply motion.

The concept of dative prepositions is not limited to German; other languages with case systems use similar prepositions to mark dative relations, while some languages have largely supplanted or reduced the dative with other constructions. In German grammar, understanding dative prepositions helps in forming accurate noun inflections and clarifying spatial or relational meaning.

See also: dative case, German grammar, Wechselpräpositionen.